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Please help us welcome Liz to her new role as the NOURISH Operations Manager. You’ll recognize Liz from the reception desk. She came to NOURISH a few months ago as a receptionist and is making a smooth transition into her responsibilities as our Operations Manager.

While you’ll still see Liz at the front desk as a receptionist, she will also be working behind the scenes to make sure that everything is running smoothly so that all of our members have the most NOURISHing experience possible. You can drop her a welcome note or check in about questions or concerns you have at nourishoperations@gmail.com.

On Saturday, November 20th, we raised $365 for Bounce For Life! Thank you to all of you who donated and for the well wishes from everyone. You all helped make my birthday week so much fun, truly an EXTRAORDINARY celebration.

Below you will find the “Victorisms”, the quotes from last week’s board that were attributed to me. You’ll also find the various playlists from throughout the week. Enjoy!

VictorismsEnjoy!
Feel free.
Thank you for being here.
OR NOT is always an option.
Take your time.
Nicely done. (variations were: Nice work in that series. Good job in…. Etc.)
As you are ready.
Breathe.
How’s that?
Eventually.
Relax your glutes. Yoga should make you less of a tight ass.
Find yourself as you are.
Shall we flow?
Looks like you’ve had enough of that. (variation: That’s enough of that.)
Indeed.
Is that all you got?
I got nothin’.
Make the ordinary extraordinary. (variation: The ordinary is extraordinary.)
I have a couple of announcements.
Please park only in the customer spaces.

Birthday Week Music Mixes

Monday

11:30

✓ 1954 20th Century Fox Fanfare John Williams Star Wars: A New Hope Soundtrack 0:23
✓ 1994 The Wood Song Indigo Girls Swamp Ophelia Music 4:14
✓ 1997 Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) Green Day nimrod Rock 2:35
✓ 1970 Into The Mystic Van Morrison Moondance Singer/Songwriter 3:30
✓ 2004 What Ever I Feel Like Napoleon Dynamite Napoleon Dynamite Comedy 0:06
✓ 2004 All That We Let In Indigo Girls All That We Let In Music 4:38
✓ 1970 Let It Be The Beatles Let It Be Rock 4:03
✓ 1975 New York State Of Mind Billy Joel Greatest Hits Rock 6:05
✓ 2007 Secret O’ Life James Taylor One Man Band Music 3:42
✓ Sharks With Frickin Laser Beams Mike Myers Memories and Boob Fights Comedy 0:21
✓ 1976 If It’s Magic Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life R&B Old School 3:12
✓ 1988 Sylvie Sweet Honey In the Rock Folkways: A Vision Shared – A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly Pop 2:03
✓ 1982 Imagine John Lennon The John Lennon Collection Rock 3:05
✓ Just The End The Beatles Abbey Road Remix Rock 0:34

12:30

✓ 1954 20th Century Fox Fanfare John Williams Star Wars: A New Hope Soundtrack 0:23
✓ 1994 The Wood Song Indigo Girls Swamp Ophelia Music 4:14
✓ 1997 Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) Green Day nimrod Rock 2:35
✓ 1970 Into The Mystic Van Morrison Moondance Singer/Songwriter 3:30
✓ 2004 What Ever I Feel Like Napoleon Dynamite Napoleon Dynamite Comedy 0:06
✓ 2004 All That We Let In Indigo Girls All That We Let In Music 4:38
✓ 1970 Let It Be The Beatles Let It Be Rock 4:03
✓ 1982 Imagine John Lennon The John Lennon Collection Rock 3:05
✓ 1975 New York State Of Mind Billy Joel Greatest Hits Rock 6:05
✓ 2007 Secret O’ Life James Taylor One Man Band Music 3:42
✓ Sharks With Frickin Laser Beams Mike Myers Memories and Boob Fights Comedy 0:21
✓ 1976 If It’s Magic Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life R&B Old School 3:12
✓ 1988 Sylvie Sweet Honey In the Rock Folkways: A Vision Shared – A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly Pop 2:03
✓ Just The End The Beatles Abbey Road Remix Rock 0:34

5:45

✓ 1954 20th Century Fox Fanfare John Williams Star Wars: A New Hope Soundtrack 0:23
✓ 1994 The Wood Song Indigo Girls Swamp Ophelia Music 4:14
✓ 2000 All I Need Michael McDonald The Complete Blue Obsession Recordings Music 5:41
✓ 2004 What Ever I Feel Like Napoleon Dynamite Napoleon Dynamite Comedy 0:06
✓ 1997 Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) Green Day nimrod Rock 2:35
✓ 1987 Man In The Mirror Michael Jackson Bad Pop 5:19
✓ 1993 Blink Of An Eye Michael McDonald Blink Of An Eye Music 4:56
✓ 1970 Into The Mystic Van Morrison Moondance Singer/Songwriter 3:30
✓ 1990 Someday We’ll All Be Free Donny Hathaway A Donny Hathaway Collection Soul/R&B 4:14
✓ It Tolls For Thee Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Books & Spoken 0:49
✓ 1982 Imagine John Lennon The John Lennon Collection Rock 3:05
✓ 1970 Let It Be The Beatles Let It Be Rock 4:03
✓ 2004 All That We Let In Indigo Girls All That We Let In Music 4:38
✓ 1975 New York State Of Mind Billy Joel Greatest Hits Rock 6:05
✓ 2001 Everything Must Change Quincy Jones 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Quincy Jones Soul 6:05
✓ Sharks With Frickin Laser Beams Mike Myers Memories and Boob Fights Comedy 0:21
✓ 2006 The Heart of Life John Mayer Continuum Rock 3:19
✓ 2007 Secret O’ Life James Taylor One Man Band Music 3:42
✓ 1976 If It’s Magic Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life R&B Old School 3:12
✓ 1988 Sylvie Sweet Honey In the Rock Folkways: A Vision Shared – A Tribute to Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly Pop 2:03
✓ Just The End The Beatles Abbey Road Remix Rock 0:34
✓ 1999 Soon Be To Nothing Indigo Girls Come On Now Social Music 4:30

I was just reading this week’s article in the GoodTimes Santa Cruz titled Yogis Behaving Badly. The article is written on the subject of yoga teachers and the specter of sexual harassment that has been known to loom in the shadows of the yoga world between teacher and student, guru and disciple. The article points out the tenderness of the relationship between a student and his or her teacher, and how that vulnerability can be, and has been, abused.

Certainly, becoming a successful and inspiring yoga teacher should go hand-in-hand with adhering to the moral foundational principals of yoga (the yamas and niyamas). But it doesn’t always work out that way. Yoga teachers are human, tempted by all the same urges as everyone else. Fear of retribution from an almighty and judgmental God did not make Catholic priests impervious to molesting little boys. There is no reason to think that all yoga teachers would be immune to the same impulses, especially when worshiped themselves by a roomful of women in spandex routinely in the process of opening up –physically, emotionally, and one would hope, spiritually.

It was obvious to me, as I got deeper into the writing, that one of the author’s purposes in broaching the topic of abuse by yoga teachers was to publicly air the events that brought one of our own local teachers under criminal investigation for the alleged rape of one student, and the sexual harassment of two others. As far as I know, those claims are still being investigated by the Santa Cruz Police Department.

On one hand I appreciated the explicit (and anonymous, as the names of the victims had been changed) descriptions of what actually happened to these women. These women felt that they had been violated, and they were willing to reveal the actions that made them feel this way. For a woman who might be feeling weird or unsure about a suspect interaction with a yoga teacher, reading the description of another woman’s experience might help clarify her reaction. Women, especially with a history of sexual abuse (1 in 3) sometimes get confused. Some feel they should give the benefit of the doubt to the abuser, and that they must be misinterpreting the event. A common pattern is to feel they deserved or even invited the abuse. And then there is just plain old shame and embarrassment. To read another woman’s account of harassment spelled out for all to see could (and should) give women courage to confront their own experiences, so that they can make appropriate choices around processing and healing the trauma.

On the other hand this article has caused me a fair amount of discomfort since I first read it the other day. I’ve been chewing on the ‘facts’ I know about our local situation, as they have been revealed to me over time. I have no personal history with the accused, but am aware of the scandals under which he left my former professional stomping grounds. I have heard the rumors that have been floating around the yoga community for years, and have internalized the ‘inside scoops’ from people closer to the source of the ‘troubles’ than I am. None of this is conclusive evidence of wrongdoing, which is why under the umbrella of news organizations, or even the umbrella of Nourish the dirty laundry cannot be completely hung out to dry. We won’t name names, we can’t speak openly about what may have happened, to whom, and because of whom. But by now I am skeptical enough to steer clear of any involvement with the accused. It’s frustrating that in most cases of this nature the ‘real’ story is never allowed to come out. These accusations seem to always exist in the realm of rumor and gossip. I have to say, though it was nice to finally see at least something in print, it’s frustrating that an article inspired by local events had to be so….generalized.

When we are restricted from talking about rape, sexual harassment, or any other kind of violence the offender is protected, not the victim. I understand that until someone is convicted of a crime that it violates that person’s rights to speak about them as if they were guilty. The mechanism for protecting the innocent-wrongly-accused has an important role in our justice system, obviously. I believe in due process, etc… However, in cases like this I find it unfortunate that a potential threat to women is left vague and yet sensationalized. Without specifics, we keep the issue at arm’s length, as if it has nothing to do with us. Or worse, the uninformed assume the yoga world is rife with such problems and allow the fear instilled by the media to color their impression of yoga altogether.

As Judith Lasater so profoundly expressed in the GoodTimes article, this problem is not going to get better when someone gets put behind bars. This issue won’t get better in any facet of our society until women refuse to be victimized, first by the offender and then later by feeling ashamed to raise her voice about it. That’s a tall order. (I know the former statement will have a lot of victims of violence perking up, so give me a moment to elaborate).

A quote came to me through one of my own teachers, Colette Crawford. It is an ‘ancient Chinese saying’, one of those that has no source that I’ve been able to find. Please correct me if I’ve got it wrong, or if you know something about it’s origins that I don’t. It goes like this:

“Mountains will move, wars will cease, when women wake up.”

I’m not saying that we can necessarily end rape and sexual harassment. With things as they are we have no control of what another brings to the relationship we have with them, whether that is the relationship with a friend, a date, a teacher, a family member, or stranger on a dark street. What we do have is the ability to overcome shame, heal, refuse silence, and raise awareness with the purpose of creating an environment where inappropriate sexual advances are never tolerated in any way by anybody. Ms. Lasater’s fantasy about a woman standing up in the middle of class to announce an indiscretion, and then asking for solidarity in a boycott of the class is now my fantasy too. My greatest disappointment is the gossipy nature of these discussions, when they come up. Oh, and the fact that this teacher is still teaching.

My first thought was that there should be an organization for yoga teachers through which complaints can be filed and investigated. That way, even if there are no prosecutions, at least there is a record of complaints. You see, there very well may not have been a crime committed here. Making passes at women, after all, is not illegal (except in the workplace). But I think we can all agree that yoga teachers should not be making passes at students, any more than college professors, police officers, or therapists should be. If there were some way to log a complaint, Yogis could be left to make their own judgments about teachers. They would have a place to go to to look for red flags, or to place a warning for future students.

Then I realized that no governing body can protect us from these teachers, both few and far between, by-the-way. It’s up to us to refuse to be taken advantage of. Though I understand the purpose of the article, and the assumptions we have been guided to make. Though I appreciate the interview with Judith Lasater, and the efforts to give voice to this serious issue–we will not see the end of this, as Ms. Lasater points out, until we, as a community start talking out loud. We know this is happening. It’s fine to name names and issue warnings.

My own mother was annoyingly over-protective when I was a kid. She was constantly reminding me of self-defense techniques, talking with me about abuse and what to do if I feel unsafe with someone. It was one of my least favorite things about being her child. “Maaaawwwwwwwmmmm. Cheeeeeeeez.” But in my early 20s when I found myself suddenly in a violent situation with a boyfriend of two years, I knew what to do. I got the hell out of there and pressed charges. Not because I was angry and wanted to get back at him. But because I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt. I knew that whatever the outcome of his proceedings that he would have a blemish on his record reflecting what happened to me. I knew, even then, that that blemish might in some direct or indirect way, protect another woman from escalating harm.

This is one case where I think we should speak up, even if it feels like gossip. If you are experiencing, or know someone who is experiencing problems with a yoga teacher, (or anyone else for that matter) you owe it to yourself, and all women everywhere to talk about it. Share it with your friends, a counselor, or a help line. Share other incidents in your life that have made you uncomfortable. Heal your own experiences by bringing them into the light and asking those that you love and who love you to take a look at them, even if it’s the last thing you want to do.

As a student of yoga, tell your fellow yoginis when a teacher crosses the line and disappoints your sense of morality, and by all means stop going to see that teacher. Share with your fellow practitioners the teachers with whom you feel safe and respected. As well as the names of the studios in which you feel supported. The word ‘guru’ refers to a teacher that brings a student from the darkness of ignorance into the light of understanding. In speaking about this problem out loud, we become gurus by bringing this uncomfortable subject out of the dark closet in which it has lurked, and into the light of our collective awareness.

It is unfortunate that we have to keep our wiles about us as we venture into the yoga world and subject ourselves to our teachers. But we do. I for one, have felt relieved to have been nowhere near the teacher that shall remain unnamed in this post, or the studio that supported him despite multiple complaints. Instead I remain grateful that I am in the fold of an organization that puts the health and well-being of it’s clientele at the forefront of it’s mission (thank you Nourish) and to be teaching among teachers I would recommend to absolutely anyone who asked, male or female, regardless of their history. Finally, I am grateful to be able to sit with my boss and fellow teacher, Victor, and discuss this serious issue together. He and Jocelyn have brought this issue out into the light of Nourish by discussing it openly in meetings, and have asked us to share our feelings and insights about it with our students, and anyone who will listen. Their message is clear. Sexual misconduct among yoga teachers should not, under any circumstances, be tolerated. “We want people to know that Nourish is a safe place to practice yoga.”

This week is sadly my last at NOURISH. After working here for a year, it is now time to leave. I will be moving down to Pomona, in Southern California, where my wife will start med school at Western University and I will chase my dream of working in the film industry (so if anyone has any contacts down there… I’m pretty sure Victor and Jocelyn will give me a good reference!)

I will take a lot away from my time at NOURISH. It is here that I enjoyed my first massage, learned a tonne about nutrition and the body, had the pleasure of meeting a plethora of wise and wonderful people, discovered a love for hummus, and received my first American paycheck!

I would like to thank Victor and Jocelyn for continually providing the flexibility and confidence that has allowed me to learn new skills and make the most of my time in Santa Cruz. Since walking through the door last May, I have felt very well taken care of and appreciated… they even let me wear my hat at work!

I will miss all the staff, everyone of you has made me smile in some way or other, and especially all the other receptionists who have been a great group of ladies to work with.

Finally, I msut say thank you to the lovely NOURISH clients and members. In England and in the US I have worked several jobs, many of which have involved customer service, and I can honestly say that the clients at NOURISH have easily been the most pleasant and easy going. I think this is reflective of the atmosphere and ethos the center cultivates: NOURISH is a space of respect, warmth and commitment, and it has made for a great place to spend the larger part of my days and nights.

I wish you all a wonderful Santa Cruz summer, I will certainly be thinking of Las Palmas Chile Verde burritos and walks on West Cliff, and I hope you have long and happy lives!

You have probably noticed the recently erected art hanging up around the studio. It is the work of NOURISH member, Hilary Scardino, and is featured as part of NOURISH’s participation in the First Friday Art Tour in Santa Cruz.

For those of you not familiar with the Art Tour, it is a fantastic local event held on the first Friday of each month. Various businesses and organizations in and around downtown Santa Cruz display art by local artists and hold receptions. Locals and visitors are then encouraged to walk around Santa Cruz ,taking in the art and generally having a fun old time.

Here is what some one lovely lady said about the art tour in a local paper recently:

What an amazing experience I had last Friday night in downtown Santa Cruz. I’ve been a critic of downtown in letters to this paper and the iffy element that is effecting a change to the overall ambiance of the downtown we have known and loved. This past Friday, the First Friday Art Tour, transported, elevated Santa Cruz to urban magic, the likes of which one usually only experiences in San Francisco or the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City.

Not wanting to miss out on such a positive and inspiring movement, NOURISH participated in First Friday for the first time on Friday, March 5th. It was huge success with the studio attracting many visitors to appreciate Hilary’s brilliant art and take in the NOURISH ambiance. There was fizzy fruit wine, a delectable platter kindly donated by our friends over at Asana Tea House (they really rock and there food is awesome) and of course, lively liberal discussion.

We would like to thank Hilary for sharing her truly unique work with us. Having received a number of compliments about what her art brings to the studio space, in addition to enjoying supporting and celebrating local artists, NOURISH will certainly be participating in First Friday again.

Unfortunately we will be skipping April – as we will be focusing on the exciting task of celebrating our 1 year anniversary with our friends, family, members and clients on Friday, April 2nd – but we do look forward to bringing in some new art in May and participating in this great event again. We hope to see lots of our members and clients there and if anyone in the NOURISH community is interested in collaborating with us for First Friday then we would love to here from you! Contact us at info@nourishsantacruz.com.

First of all, thank you so much for such a warm welcome. I feel blessed to be a part of the Nourish community and connected to all you wonderful people through this gem of a wellness center. Santa Cruz is living up to my every hope, and then some.

Teaching here for the first few weeks has been a sweet journey towards reconnecting to the part of me that exists out in the world, rather than home with the girls. Needless to say, I had been feeling a little restless. It’s nice to be reminded that the solitary nature of the practice is overshadowed by the opportunity so many of us are taking these days to be in dialogue with others about our process. To be out in the world, practicing together, sharing breath and space in the yoga room has been so much a part of the practice for me over the years. Coming to Nourish, I am reminded I am here, with others, seeking answers. And that though we are turning to look in, we are still connected, looking in together. I have missed this in the year I took off to birth my second baby.

I commented in Savasana one day something to the effect of our practice being an opportunity to let go of our expectations, because all we really have is what is happening right now and that ultimately we don’t know what will happen in the next moment. As yogis we sacrifice our musings about the future and the past for what is here before us, seeking truth in the present. A student came up after class to ask about the possibility of choosing our reality by working with our energies, and our beliefs as a way of manifesting what we believe possible and want to bring into our lives. If we visualize ourselves in abundance, wealth, or love (indeed whatever we are seeking) then we will have it.

Certainly we have to have an idea first, believe it can exist, and then bring it forward into reality. That’s how we say…get dinner on the table. And I do believe we must see more esoteric things into the realm of possibility too. Like love or abundance, or the fulfillment of a dream. But I was wondering if Maya, the illusion, is nothing less than the world of our wildest dreaming, our greatest wishes manifesting all over the place, and every other possibility too. And if that’s true, then it’s not the energy around us that we have to influence, but how we receive. Because we may or may not have control of the energies rushing us in the coming moments, but we do get to decide whether we perceive them as obstacles or opportunities. And what an opportunity it is to get to practice with you all. Finding my way into your beautiful space did not happen for me without effort, fear, or uncertainty. Yet here I am, grateful and full of delight.